How do you find your subjects?

作者 Alec Soth
来源 alecsoth.com

I try to keep the process fluid. Years ago I did a project called From Here to There. The idea was that one picture leads to the next. An example:

Boy with chicken

Young man with egg (and superman tattoo)

Superman suit

While working on this project I made a trip down the Mississippi River. After awhile I saw the river as a metaphor for this kind of improvisational wandering. I decided to make the river the explicit subject while continuing to play all of these games beneath the surface.

I still play these games. Now I usually have a list of subject I’m looking for. With Niagara, for example, this list included things like motels, love letters, couples, and so forth. I feel a bit lost if I don’t have anything specific to search for. But the list is just a starting place. It gets me involved in the landscape. Once I’m engaged any number of things can develop.